ABOVE: Destined for Kenwood Yard in Albany, Canadian Pacific ethanol train No. 642 hugs the rugged shore of Lake Champlain high above Wills- boro Bay on a brisk morning in November 2013. While fewer trains use the former Delaware & Hudson route north of Albany in daylight, the scenic locations are worth the effort. FRANCOIS JOLIN PHOTO
frame the Vermonter well depending on the angle chosen for the time of day. Equipment for the Vermonter and Ethan
Allen Express is your standard Amfleet consists hauled by GE P32 diesels.
New England Central Parent Canadian National sold the
old Central Vermont Railway to Rail America in 1995; the 377-mile operation was renamed New England Central, and for many years consists of blue- and-gold diesels hauled freight through the Connecticut River valley. In 2012, RailAmerica was acquired by Genesee & Wyoming and a fresh coat of orange paint was applied to the NECR. This line closely parallels the Connecticut River next to the New Hampshire border on the eastern side of the state. Manifest mainline freights are symboled 323-324, and times can vary somewhat as the construction season begins in earnest.
Claremont & Concord
The original Claremont & Concord Railroad was charted in 1848 to connect its namesake cities in New Hampshire. The 18-mile line was acquired by the Boston & Maine in 1887. Looking to shed
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unprofitable branchlines, the operation was sold in 1954 and became the Claremont & Concord Railroad (CCCR). A series of gradual abandonments left the CCCR with a two-mile terminal operation connecting with Pan Am’s Connecticut River Line at Claremont Junction, N.H. Operations will vary according to inbound traffic and connections as the CCCR becomes a more “as needed” operation in the summer. The main office is located next to the Amtrak station stop in Claremont, and a separate transload switching operation works out of the old Westboro Yard in Lebanon, N.H., a short distance from the landmark White River Junction passenger station. CCCR interchanges with Pan Am Southern and NECR at White River Junction.
Canadian Pacific (Delaware & Hudson) The Delaware & Hudson Railway is
a continuation of the old Delaware & Hudson Canal Co., which dates back to 1825. Finding itself surrounded by the new Conrail system in 1976, new trackage rights extended its reach to Buffalo, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Even this was not enough to stem the tide of declining traffic, and in
1983 D&H was acquired by Guilford Transportation Industries (known as Pan Am Railways since 2006). This brief union with the Boston & Maine and Maine Central railroads ended in 1988 when Guilford cast off the D&H into bankruptcy. After four years of directed service by the Susquehanna, Canadian Pacific acquired D&H in 1991. The D&H has experienced its share of
ups and downs under CP control. One major change that has yet to be finalized as this article goes to press is the sale of the southern half of D&H to Norfolk Southern. The northern half from Montreal through to the Albany area will be retained by CP. Canadian Pacific provides a critical interchange with the VRS at nearby Whitehall, N.Y. The yard is leased by the Vermont Railway, and most operations for the daily exchange occur overnight. This includes the VTR’s pick-up of general mixed freight as well as the “gas train” cars, which travel loaded from Kenwood Yard at the Port of Albany, N.Y., to Burlington, Vt., and quickly cycle in return as empties. The VTR at times receives solid unit trains of ethanol off the CP destined for Providence, R.I., as a participant in the “New England
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